The present invention is related to hold-up circuits, and in particular to a system and method of recording performance and detecting failures in hold-up circuits.
Hold-up circuitry is employed in a variety of applications to keep a unit or device functional for a limited period of time following the interruption of input power. Hold-up circuitry includes a power storage device, such as a capacitor, that stores power during normal operation and supplies the stored power to the unit or device following interruption of input power. The limited amount of power provided by the power storage device allows the unit or device to perform any necessary functions before shutting down completely.
Failures in the power storage device are traditionally difficult to detect. Oftentimes, a failure of the power storage device is only detected when the device fails to supply power for the time required during a failure of the input power, thus resulting in a latent failure of the system.